tippatone

I saw a Brocky in Astoria yesterday....was a cool sight

Tippatone and others

If you like snow removal equipment, take a stroll to this link, The topic is 10 years and 570 pages long!! The first 200 pages cover most of the antique stuff.,

http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=20489

Awesome thread....I'm on page 12

Plenty of Macks, especially RM's, But it takes a month of Sundays to go thru the whole topic.

Thanks....tell me about it...had a great time looking thru this thread

These pics are great

Autocars were all over NYC years ago. The heating oil, cement, and trash companies were heavy users.

They're still around.... Not as much

I have the one in my avitar, have not done anything about restoring it. Was born and raised on them.

Cortland is halfway between Binghamton and Syracuse on I-81, probably 5-6 hours from the GW Bridge.. let you figure how long it take you to get there. 2 choices: I-80 to Pocono to I-380 to Scranton and up I-81 or take I-87 to Harriman and up NY 17 to Bingo and I-81.

Their website is brockwaytrucks.org

Thanks!!!

tippatone

No they were not, Autocar was started in the 1910's and were made in Ardmore PA and were bought out by White in 1953 and the name/badge now belongs to Volvo.

Brockway started as a wagon maker in Cortland NY in 1865, First prototype truck in 1910 and formally made a seperate corporation in 1912, Bought out by Mack in 1956, closed due to labor dispute in 1977. Have a museum in Cortland open all year and have a big gathering, parade, and show the second weekend of August with anywhere from 120 to 160 Brockways attending.

Sorry to hear that...it sucks to have such a great truck phased out due to contract differences....you know alot about the old Brock....you own any? How far is Cortland from NYC....I would like to go to the museum and parade this year

You gotta drive one in a snow storm, an then u will know y the state and counties used them for plowing! I drove my 361 tandem dump M/T in a snow storm last year and that truck tracked and held the road like a summer day! A well balanced truck, not like the Autocars that were nose heavy when u went into a turn and the truck kept going straight

Bullhusk

I was about to ask if brockway and autocar were the same manufacturer....I wish I had the chance to drive one of these things

They were excellent trucks.. Best known for combo on and off road work..

They look like workhorses...still see a few here in NYC

Not easy to get good stuff left. Last ones were made in 77.

,

Oh wow thanks....where they good trucks

Freaking A my friend

I wanted a nice starter tandem dump for a reasonable price....what is the word on Brockway? Parts easy to find?

Once you become accustomed to the Mack you'll be spoiled for anything else. Your enthusiasm is refreshing as many new drivers today are only interested in trucks that ride like cars and practically drive themselves. Sadly, the number of "intimidating, almost crapped my pants" type trucks is dwindling on a daily basis.

I think Castle is still in business. In the mid-70's, I spent almost every break from school with my Dad when he drove for a banana distributor in Hunts Point. Castle, Whaleco, Whitestone, there was a bunch of oil companies back then. Gerosa was still in business, too. Lotsa cool trucks were based in the south Bronx.

HaHa....I just got the whole Hi-Lo range thing licked then WHAM....two shifters lol....yes sir you are on it...their depot was in that area....I believe Castle was jyst brought out by a company named Sprague.....200 employees will have to take buyouts or work for lower wages

You Have 5 reverse gears.

Compound in reverse and then 1-5 on the main. You can do about 25 mph backing up if your good...

That sounds crazy

First, I own a chain drive (started it ALL, the DNA of Mack) and a B model (awesome styling, indestructible - they are timeless classics), but the R model and its sibling the RD (a heavier duty version) were probably the greatest all-around Macks of all time. Think about it - why do they still look great almost fifty years later and why did the production run go forty years straight??! A modern-day classic. Anyway, that's my two cents..

Some twin sticks are a five and a four, some a five and a three, some a five and a two speed. I learned on a 69 R model with a ten speed, reverse had a high and a low, and you could just shift through the five speeds straight, and use the aux. stick like a high and low. To do it right, I started in 1-low, and shifted every half gear -1 to 10 in about a tenth of a mile, from zero to 20 in about six seconds, quick double clutch or no clutch at all.

Don't worry,drive it a few days and you'll be right at home. Like I said the other day, every one of us was green once. As for the R or RD, look for a nice one, and you'll be happy in the long run. They are easy to work on, parts are everywhere, and many are affordable (example, new Mack windshield for an R is $125). And... before the other guys say it, "post pictures" when you get it.

Crazy....that sounds awesome

The two sticks were fun to drive.

To start off the line I used to make sure the compound was in neutral, put the main box in first and then you could put the compound in low and hit the throttle. Up shift and down shift without ever using the clutch.

It used to freak people out when I ran through the gears in reverse.

Hmmm....interesting. So you can go in reverse in 3rd gear?

One more question...the the Pto is controlled by the 2nd lever

RD is a tough old truck and will do great with anything you throw at it. It's just loud and has a little rough of a ride.

In my opinion the R model was one of the best if not the best mack ever built.

I have fond memories of the older RDs like late 80s early 90s...I'm from NYC so we have these oil tankers delivering oil to heat our buildings...we used to have a company Castle...That delivery man was a hero to me...the way he unloaded that oil and drove that tanker....awesome

yep. Simple transmission. In low you only use first gear then you shift up to the high side and go through the rest of the gears.

Thanks a lot that clear things up a great deal...how you like the RD??? I was in love with the Granite...but fell in love with the RD....

Thanks alot...this site is awesome learned a lot just by reading what you guys go thru....thank you

So its main stick=gears 1 thru 5.....compound= reverse,hi-lo...

Is it possible for the admin.to remove this thread???

First let me start by stating I am a rookie driver so I'm brand new to most of this stuff....in the older RD models I noticed two gear sticks....can one of you veterans please explain what the hell this is about....I almost crapped my pants...very intimidating....

First let me start by stating I am a rookie driver so I'm brand new to most of this stuff....in the older RD models I noticed two gear sticks....can one of you veterans please explain what the hell this is about....I almost crapped my pants...very intimidating....

You guys are great....the feedback helps I just can't wait until I'm in a position to help others.... Australia??? I thought about it...it seems too difficult to realistically make happen